Wednesday, June 23, 2010

ESPN's Randy LaJoie Suspended

ESPN studio analyst Randy LaJoie was suspended on Tuesday by both NASCAR and ESPN.

Here is the NASCAR statement:

Randy LaJoie, a crew member for the No. 18 team in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, has been indefinitely suspended from NASCAR for violating the sanctioning body’s substance abuse policy.

On June 11, LaJoie was found to have violated Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing) and 19 (violation of the NASCAR substance abuse policy) of the 2010 NASCAR Rule Book.

ESPN did not issue a statement, but LaJoie was not present on the Monday NASCAR Now program on which he had been scheduled. The network confirmed on Tuesday that LaJoie had been suspended indefinitely.

LaJoie got out ahead of this issue in a series of media releases and interviews. He began by talking to Dave Moody on the Sirius Speedway radio program.

"I screwed up," LaJoie told Moody. "NASCAR tested me the day when I wanted to go spot for someone at Nashville. I already have two NASCAR licenses, but they said I needed a spotter's license, and that included taking a drug test. I took the test, and got a call a few days later, saying I had tested positive for marijuana."

LaJoie admitted to smoking marijuana in the infield campgrounds at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in the party atmosphere following the Coke 600 in May.

This was his statement on that topic:

“My use of marijuana was an isolated incident following the Coca-Cola 600,” he said. “I plan to follow the recommendations of the substance abuse counselor and suggestions of NASCAR and hope that someday I can prove to NASCAR and all the people with whom I associate that I have taken such steps to see that instances such as this do not reoccur.”

Finally, LaJoie said he would not challenge NASCAR on the issue:

"I take full responsibility for my actions and respect NASCAR's decision. I wish to apologize to my wife and family first, to NASCAR, to my fans and the various media companies for which I work."

While LaJoie was snared in a NASCAR trap meant for just this purpose, it is still not clear why a drug test done specifically for NASCAR has any bearing on his ESPN television presence.

ESPN is owned by ABC, which in turn is a Disney company. Needless to say, LaJoie failed a drug test for individuals who desire a NASCAR license in order to participate. LaJoie was working for Joe Gibbs Racing as a spotter on a one race contract. LaJoie did not fail any type of ESPN employee drug test.

LaJoie is an important connection to the Nationwide Series for ESPN. That family of TV networks carries all of the Nationwide Series race from start to finish in a TV package that still has years to go. LaJoie's personality, perspective and opinions have served the network well since he came on board.

Perhaps you could give us your opinion of this situation and whether you feel LaJoie should continue to be on ESPN as a NASCAR personality. To add your opinion on this topic, just click on the comments button below. This is a family-friendly website, please keep that in mind when posting. Thanks for stopping by.

58 comments:

Marijuana being an illegal drug would warrant his suspension from both NASCAR and ESPN. I don't see LaJoie back on ESPN, his reputation is tarnished. He'll end up like Mayfield without the lawsuit-damaged goods. He'll simply retire and we probably won't hear from him again.

Ok, I understand NASCAR's Zero tolerance policy. But if ESPN is going to go that route, we can say goodbye to a bevy of co-hosts and such.Smoking one time in the infield...REALLY? Guess he should have got drunk instead, and sped around the speedway...oh wait, that was Kurt Busch, wasn't it? (ok...TO the speedway)

Wouldn't it be nice - or at least consistent - if the France family was this rigorous about testing ALL competitors in every series they own? Of course, that would mean finding yet another "technicality" to let J.C. France off the hook, but I'm sure their "crack" legal staff could find a way.

Comparing this to Mayfield is simply ludicrous. If Randy had drank a gallon of whiskey and was passed out drunk it would not show up on a test day or weeks later. But smoke 1 joint and ESPN suspends him?

I don't see where the safety or reputation of the network was ever in jeopardy here.

I think its awesome that Randy parties with the infield crowd! This just shows that drug testing is worthless. So he spotted and then afterward he was told he failed..lol. What if he was on a real drug?

The France family has a drug problem, ESPN had Michael Irvin of all people as a talking head, why they are having a problem is anyones clue.

And Nascar should get over themselves and the fans crying foul should get over themselves. If you've ever been to a track and it's infield, you'd know this is a common occurrence. Once the guys get too popular, they usually stop, but otherwise, most of them party.

I remember back a few years ago at California, we partied all night in the infield. One whole Winston West team was there. We partied the night away and one of the guy hooked us up with counterfeit pit passes, and they worked all weekend :)

Nascar is fun, Nascar is wild. Anyone thinking anything else is being naive!

I'm glad RL went on the offensive on this one. I can't believe ESPN suspending him, but they've suspending on-air folks for saying something off-color. And I can't believe drug testing a spotter will hurt the drivers on the track either. It seems it's stretching the rules a bit to me. I feel bad for all of Randy's family, Corey is planning on racing this weekend at the K&N East race in NH I wonder if Randy can be at the track.

Methinks Mr. Wood's analysis extreme. Comparing LaJoie's situation to Mayfield's is like comparing a small boat's pumping oily water out of its bilge with the massive BP disaster in the Gulf. Really?

Rules are rules and Randy broke one of NASCAR's and got caught. He has to face the music. To his credit, he's shouldered the responsibility. There's no way for me to know whether his public comments are motivated by a desire to make a public mea culpa or get the spin machine started early. Only he knows that. Regardless, it's a smart move and apparently consistent with Randy's outspokenness.

The ESPN suspension is a bit harder to figure. Disney's a public company that relies heavily upon a clean reputation. With a few PR issues with other ESPN hosts recently, perhaps management figured a preemptive strike was the right move. I can't say that I disagree with the network's decision.

I like Randy and would like to see him recover, but that's up to how he deals with this.

I would think his creditability is compromised as a tv personality - just can't see he offering analysis og nascar on numerous topics ala rules violations while under a who know how long suspension from NASCAR. Clearly not the worst thing anyone has ever done but enough of a mistake to tarnish his creditability as Adam stated.

yeah, JC's suspension lasts five months, and Hmeil is still banned...funny how that works....

Scooch, Kurt wasn't drunk. Not a fan of his, but he was pretty low on the BAC level. Just stupid.

As for LaJoie...I really liked him. It's a shame, really--for the record, I really doubt it's his first (not saying it's a habit either) and I personally would legalize the stuff. But he knows the rules as a NASCAR worker, so it was just dumb. As for the TV, I think other TV hosts have done much worse (perhaps not during their broadcast career)--say, Michael Irvan's cocaine bust... And they suspended him for a bit when he had that stuff in the car he said wasn't his. The difference here is, I think if NASCAR wants Randy gone, he'll be gone, no matter what ESPN thinks.

As silly as the anti-marijuana feeling is in these modern times, and knowing what we know now, rules are rules...and he failed them. I find it hard to believe he didn't know beforehand that he needed a spotter's license. The man has been involved in the sport for quite some time and that seems like something he might have thought, "Hey they'll let me by, it's a one time deal, I don't need a license." If only he had stayed the course on TV...I really like him as a person and TV personality. At least he owned up to his "mistake", well society's interpretation of a mistake, we'll just call it a rule violation.Hopefully he won't catch much heat from it and is able to get back in the booth fairly soon.

That is a shame for Randy that he got suspended by ESPN for smoking dope. He is one of their best TV people, and certainly of no danger to anyone in the booth. By the way, does this mean that Waltrip can be suspended for being a dope??? Fair is fair.

Randy LaJoie is one of my fave NNS race commentators in the booth and I also like his commentary & opinions very much on NASCAR Now.I'm disappointed that Randy made such a blunder considering the rules BUT I'd have no problem whatsoever with him resuming his ESPN duties after he completes NASCAR's mandated treatment program. If ESPN permanently fires him I'll loudly disagree with that decision.

Randy is suspended from NASCAR, therefore how can he adequately fulfill his duties with ESPN?

Sure he can do stuff away from the track but he is barred from the track while on suspension. I do not see anything majorly wrong with what ESPN did. I hope Randy can rebound from this, he manned up and owned this as his own mistake. Period.

ESPN should not fire him for this, hopefully after a short suspension and he tests clean and is reinstated, ESPN will lift their suspension as well.

Also on the Kurt Busch thing, he was cleared of that, and as a citizen of Maricopa County, I am none to surprised by the Sheriff's office that tried to drag him through the mud.

I got my fingers crossed for Randy, wish him the best and that he can get back to what he loves. He is a pretty big presence in this sport even though he is not driving anymore.

The thing about this is, if NASCAR makes it public by suspending someone and everyone knows why--well, I don't see how ESPN can ignore that--when Irvan was suspended after being arrested for the drug paraphenalia in his car (that he said was someone else's), yes, it involved an actual arrest. But theoretically, pot is not legal to be smoking under those circumstances so you know he violated the law even if there was no arrest. It's a bit tricky but I think it was ESPN's choice & I can see why they did it. It sounds like Randy is throwing himself on the sword & hoping for forgiveness, and I think he will get it eventually.

JD I dont think you see the severity of the situation? ESPN made the right decesion. He smoked marijuana, which is illegal. I wouldnt want to watch someone like that on TV and they don't belong on television. If you do the crime, you pay the time. Why would he need to take an ESPN drug test when one from NASCAR proved he smoked pot? I dont really get what you were trying to say by bringing up that it wasnt an ESPN issued drug test?

We talk here all the time about creditability with Rusty Wallace and Brad Daughtery owning NASCAR teams.

Well I think Lajoe lost all creditability with what he did and ESPN made the right decesion.

Let me also point out that although Randy did come out and admit to it, I really don't buy it was an "isolated incident", there is no way in proving it was and I think thats also a reason he was suspended from ESPN.

I also like the comment from above. In the "real world" if it was one of us who failed a drug test, then we would lose our jobs too. There is no need for ESPN to give him another drug test when he already failed one from NASCAR.

Randy, and some of you, need to face the music. He made a mistake and has to pay for the consequences.

Does ESPN drug test their employees or do they rely on someone else to do their dirty work? If RJ hadn't applied for a job with JGR, and never got tested, then what? I can understand the ESPN suspension, only if they test all their employees.

I beg to differ about the "real world" comments. While my employer could have excluded me from consideration had I failed a pre-employment drug screen, their position should I fail one as a current would be to provide me the required assistance to deal with my "problem". To say that he has no place on TV is simply stupid. Randy is no different from society as a whole. If there is a person out there who claims to have ALWAYS done the right thing, they are either lying or simply an incredibly boring person.

He should serve his time and prove himself to NASCAR, but if ultimately booted from ESPN for good, it would be their loss and a total joke. Did we ever really think that all sports announcers, many former participants, arrive right after church?

Dumb move Randy, but had I been there, I likely would have taken a puff myself, and I am not a habitual user either. You only live once and sometimes you need to let loose and live it. I think it was great that Randy was in the infield “mixing it up” with the fans to begin with. Having grown up in Wisconsin I’ve closed a few race nights partying with Dick Trickle and others. It still makes me laugh to think of Trickle smoking in his Winston Cup car while circling the track under yellow, as seen on his in car cam. (Good Times…Good Times)

Let’s not forget that this sport was built on the backs of people like Junior Johnsen, who while running moonshine, was clearly on the wrong end of the law. Oh, Randy smoked a joint……stop the presses….hold the show…..OMG what has become of things???

Get over it, move on, and next time you see Randy ask him to save a hit for me. :)

As I have gotten older (& older) my views on marijuana use have mellowed, and I don't see the issue as black and white as it once was, at least if you don't harm others. Over 10 years ago there was a big uproar in N.C. when some periodical led with a story that marijuana was the biggest cash crop in Wilkes County, home of Junior Johnson. At the same time, can you just imagine how great Willie Nelson would have been if he'd never smoked marijuana.

LaJoie made two mistakes: first, he toked (shame on him), and second, he agreed to take a drug test 6 days later. Really? That in itself calls for a 6 week suspension for lack of whatever. Randy, Randy, Randy, come on man.

If NASCAR and ESPN want to suspend him, well that's their business. Everyone is well aware of NASCAR's drug rules: the only drugs that are allowed at the track are alcohol, tobacco and any other whose company has paid for the right to advertise. Period. And Randy's ESPN employment contract probably has a clause about no public weed smoking allowed. Heck, fans can't even smoke cigarettes in the bleachers anymore, which is probably a major factor in the declining attendance figures, that and the smaller cooler rules, so pot smoking at the track is a definite no-no.

Hopefully, LaJoie sticks to his vow of joint abstinence and is allowed to play with the big boys and girls again in 5 or 6 months.

Now, can someone please print some t-shirts in support of Randy? Surely there are plenty of slogan suggestions that would sell?

"How does this have anything to do with his ability to sit in a studio in Connecticut and talk about the race in New Hampshire?"

I think ESPN recognizes that for a significant portion of their audience, this does indeed create an image/credibility problem. And as for your Walgreen/Walmart analogy, if you failed a drug test at one employer, and the other employer knew about it, as is the case here, you can bet there would be repercussions at employer #2

I expect the NASCAR suspension will probably be relatively short-term, and the ESPN suspension will coincide. I haven't read anything to suggest that he was being fired by ESPN, as some here are interpreting.

Not too often I "strongly agree" with your views, but I commend your stance on Randy LaJoie and ESPN.

Daly Planet Editor said...."He is not banned from tracks, but only from participating in roles that require that NASCAR license."

Remember when Jeremy Mayfield was suspended? NASCAR made it clear he was not to be at the track after he showed up at the All-Star Race in Charlotte. It seems the same would apply to LaJoie. However, as you said he could still do his job in the ESPN studios and some good could come from Randy tackling this head-on.

I don't think you can compare working for NASCAR & ESPN to Walmart & Walgreen's. Their employees aren't public figures speaking to the masses, and also anon 3:47 makes a good point. IF they found out, they very well might fire you, or try to. While I agree that being suspended as a NASCAR employee doesn't make a dang bit of difference in what he has to say about a race, ESPN has a right to discipline an employee. How do we know this isn't in line with what they would have done to someone else (and they DID suspend Irvan, even before a conviction and no 'priors' while he worked for them.) He's the only one I can think of at the moment.

Hmm, well rules are rules. My friend has to fire people all the time in different cities (He's in HR) for failing drug tests. It's a drag but it's the rules.

You smoke a joint & it can stay in your system 7 days. Smoke it frequently and it can show up MONTHS later.

I see the world as gray. As somebody dx with NARROW ANGLE glaucoma Suspect/plateau Iris syndrome, medical marijuana REALLY needs to be legalize in more states. Now I'd need $1000 for cannabis pills? Ludicrous.

If you do your job, are responsible, have good family/social life, I hate seeing lives ruined over pot.

On the other hand, I am tired of everybody's PR telling them to "fess up" and enter "rehab". Real rehab is for serious addicts imo.

I've had family/friends work in this field & what celebs do nowadays is disgusting. Bad behavior & busted=addict=good PR.

Not saying that is the case here as I don't know RL, don't read up online as much or watch as much tv now with my own eye issues.

Still, to compare him to Mayfield is waaaaaaaaaaaay out of line.

People can get drunk on beer daily/binge drink and make lives of others MISERABLE.

Smoke one joint a weekend=lose work.

Bad hangovers & drinking until late night can interfere with many jobs including surgeries or flying airplanes. You'd be surprised how many pilots fly with a bit of alcohol still lingering enough to affect their reflexes.

I know laws are laws but at one time, prohibition existed.

I know of a prostate cancer sufferer who has to fly to Calif to get his legal medical marijuana. That's expensive but it helps his pain and reduces side effects to chemo.

I hope this doesn't ruin RJ career forever if the rest of his life is in order.

I have strong personal views weather or not pot should be illegal. But, The Point is, it is illegal for now. RL messed up big time. I've seen excellent employees flushed out of work for the same issues. Nascar made a correct decision. So did ESPN. Most of todays employers Have To follow drug policies to keep their liability insurance policy. Just real life. Carry over happens, and carry over from Nascar to Espn is nothing out of the ordinary. That's life and RL knew the risk, or should of know the risk.

Rules are rules? This blind idiocy has to stop. And to defend ESPN by saying that Disney is wholesome is more misinformation. Disney's subsidiaries offer pay-per-view porn, satanic-drug-glorifying-pro-suicide heavy metal music, and movies that rank among Hollywood's most depraved. LaJoie is another victim of a senseless drug war.

Free Randy LaJoie! It's just pot, soon to be fully legal at one of NASCAR's premier tracks in Fontana! I have a new respect for Randy and ill be looking for these revelers in the infield at CLT next year to join in the festivities.

JD, this is not outside ESPN's operating procedure in the past. Like someone pointed out when Irvin got busted ESPN immediately suspended him.

Randy is on vacation the next week or so, said so himself so perhaps we will know more about ESPN's position here in a week or two. I do agree some kind of discipline should have taken place because as a NASCAR personality and representative for ESPN he is held to a higher standard but I do NOT believe it should be something prolonged or a offense that should call for his dismissal.

Randy has stepped up, called himself an idiot, taken FULL responsibility for this and I hope he can come back from it. He has already taken the most important steps thus far.

I see we finally found something to get this place fired up again though lol

In a perfect, or more perfect, world I am not sure there would be a good reason for EESPN to suspend Randy. However, we don't live in a world that is anywhere near perfection and I'm afraid EESPN had little alternative but to suspend him since NASCAR did. In the media world it seems to me that perseption becomes reality and the specifics of what Randy did would soon get lost in the hype that NASCAR suspended him for failing a drug test. I've already seen comments from media types on established websites questioning the accuracy of Randy's statement and whether "others" might have been involved. Unless Danica hype blows it away, I fear the media will exploit the story with innuendo.

I hope Jeremy Mayfield reads this and sees how easy it can be to maintain your status in the sport when you just simply admit to your wrongdoings and express a desire to move on.

Personally, I doubt that he only smoked pot "just that one time"... but I give LaJoie all the credit in the world for being a REAL MAN and admitting his error and taking the punishment like he is supposed to.

Of all the drugs someone could take, marijuana is one of the easiest to fight, because you can injest it easily via second hand smoke and come up positive. LaJoie could have fought if he wanted to, but he took it like a man.

I know a lot of people will hate him after this, but I view pot as a benign drug for the most part. Good for Randy for taking the high road, no pun intended.

I am on LaJoie's side in this: he admitted his mistake and will take part in the NASCAR-mandated rehab.

But still, you have to be a little cautious. A drug test for marijuana does NOT tell when the drug was taken. If LaJoie was going to be a spotter, and responsible for telling a fast car when he is clear -- then he had better be 100% straight.

"You would not want your employer to discipline you on an incident that happened with a company not associated with it."

Randy's job with ESPN revolves around his expertise in NASCAR and his employers there would reasonably expect him to be using his time and contacts in the sport to better his analysis and insight into the sport. To find out he used that time smoking weed in the infield, on at least one occasion, makes it impossible for them NOT to discipline him, IMO.

It's not as if his two employers are completely unrelated, as you portray.

One thing that keeps me as a fan of NASCAR is their zero tolerance of behavior often seen and ignored in other sports. This zero tolerance separates the decent folk from the savages found in the NFL,NBA and MLB.

He knew the rule, he broke it, tested dirty, and was held accountable. So be it.

Employer's drug testing should be confidential so the Walmart/Walgreen's analogy is a good one. The 2 worst drugs for your body (and a big drain on the health care system) are alcohol and tobacco. Where would NASCAR be without them? I am still not sure why people expect race car drivers to be goody two shoes and role models. They have always been playboys, misfits and rebels in the past.

JD - He has publicly admitted what he did and is not contesting the results of the NASCAR test. Why should ESPN have to conduct their own test?

What he did is illegal in all 50 states. It's not like NASCAR has sanctioned him for a completely internal rule about, say, wearing sandals in the garage area. If that were the case, I would say sure ESPN really shouldn't involve themselves.

Maybe its a generational thing, but I have always known and tried to teach my children that actions have consequences, both direct (the law) and indirect (the fallout among your family, jobs, etc.)

Richard.....they sure got their money's worth last Friday, watching him trying to qualify that S&P #55, from Phil "I start & Park" Parsons. Brakes just a smoking, power-braking and flying through the air, almost off the course and...."wall-banging"...once again!

I wouldn't count since 2006, as Mikey drives on his own....$.05. How much YEN is that?

I think both Mikey and JAWS have little credibility on any racing show, as both are just "mouthpieces" of King Brian and Mafia Mike! NASCAR would improve a great deal if both went packing it back to....Owensboro KY!

For Anon at 10:47 Randy had taken a previous drug test a week or two before Charlotte and come out fine so I'm sure this was an isolated case. It still bugs me that a driver can intentionally take out another driver going 190 MPH which may permanently injure this other driver after he flips over and lands on the roof and Nascar gives him a 3 week probation. And Randy is suspended. Their rules sometimes don't make sense to me.

I will miss Randy's commentary. I thought he was one of the best guys to give an insiders view on TV. It was refreshing to hear from a talented driver that knew how to win, compared to the constant lisping from a talentless hack like Michael Waltrip.